The present invention relates to hard disk drives. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for improving slider attachment.
FIG. 1 graphically illustrates a typical head-gimbal assembly (HGA) of a hard disk drive with disk media as used in the art. Hard disk drive storage devices typically include a rotating disk 9 containing concentric data tracks in which data is read from and written to by a slider 1 (containing a transducer head, not shown). The slider 1, which ‘flies’ close to the surface of the rotating disk 9, is typically attached to a load beam 8 by a suspension flexure 6. The slider (head) 1 is mounted to the flexure 6 by epoxy bonding 5 (See FIG. 2). The suspension flexure 6 allows the slider 1 to pitch and roll with respect to the disk 9 while the load beam 8 provides loading force (by spring action) towards the disk 9 during flight (countering the slider's lift).
Typically, the load beam 8 provides resilient spring action, which biases the slider towards the surface of the disk 9, while the flexure 6 provides pitch and roll flexibility for the slider as the slider rides on a cushion of air between the air bearing surface (slider 1 surface) and the rotating disk 9.
FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of a typical slider-suspension flexure assembly as used in the art. In a typical slider-suspension assembly, the slider 1 is epoxy-bonded to the suspension flexure 6, and the head's 1 transducer leads are electrically coupled to leads formed on the suspension flexure 6. The electrical connections 3 between the slider pads 2 and the flexure trace pads 4 are typically created by gold ball, solder ball, or solder bump bonding. The fabrication of such a slider suspension assembly is time consuming and costly.
FIG. 3 illustrates the attachment of a slider to a suspension flexure as typically performed in the art. Typically, a predetermined amount of epoxy 5 is placed on the tongue portion of the suspension flexure 6 where the slider 1 is to be located. The slider 1 is subsequently positioned onto the suspension flexure 6 with an alignment device, such as a vacuum tube 21. After the epoxy hardens to a degree, e.g. by ultra-violet (UV) light, electrical connections (such as by gold/solder ball or solder bump bonding) are made between the pads 2 of the slider head transducer and the suspension pads 4. The epoxy 5 is then further hardened by a method such as oven baking.
FIG. 4 provides a graphical illustration of a slider mounted upon a suspension flexure as is typical in the art. There are several disadvantages associated with the typical method of slider-suspension attachment. One problem involves the residual welding stress caused by the hardened epoxy 5 and soldered bump/gold ball 3 bonding. Typically in the art, it is difficult to apply the epoxy perfectly evenly, and as a result, the thick portion of the applied epoxy and the residual internal stress of the solder/gold ball bonding, cause changes in the slider 1 attitude angle and force the slider 1 to become askew with respect to the suspension flexure 6. (See also FIG. 5).
FIG. 5 illustrates a slider mounted askew with respect to a suspension flexure as is common in the art. The pitch 22 attitude angle of the slider 1 may seriously degrade while the epoxy 5 is curing.
It is therefore desirable to have a simplified system and method for manufacturing a hard disk drive slider-suspension assembly that avoids the above-mentioned problems, as well as having additional benefits.